Forum:Who is the real hero of LOTR?
I'm doing a school project exploring whether or not Frodo is the real hero of LOTR and I'd love your guys opinions! Here is a link to a poll on The Student Room if you guys are on that site: http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2383604 08:41, June 17, 2013 (UTC) I'd say Sam, but Frodo could work too... MY PRECIOUS!!! 15:50, October 27, 2013 (UTC) I'd argue that lots of characters were heros in their own right, and that there was no one singular hero (Smoking.Chimp (talk) 08:15, April 6, 2014 (UTC)) The key theme connected with this, I think, is the statement about the War of the Ring, taken from Tolkien, 1983, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age: in which these tales come to their end", [http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/The_Silmarillion The Silmarillion], Second Edition, P. 366 (within a couple of pages from the end of the chapter): "Yet in that hour was put to the proof that which Mithrandir had spoken, and help came from the hands of the weak when the Wise faltered." Let us not forget, that it was Smeagol and not Frodo who, in the end, destroyed the One Ring. Superficially, this was an accident on Smeagol's part, but, if we consider Gandalf's words concerning Smeagol, something deeper emerges (Tolkien, 1999, The Shadow of the Past, "Book One: The Ring Sets Out", The Lord of the Rings, Seven Volume Edition, p. 73): "He hated it and loved it, as he hated and loved himself. He could not get rid of it. He had no will left in the matter." This is classic passive-aggressive psychology where the self-hatred is generated by a ruthless 'internal critic' which the person cannot oppose directly and, so, undermines in a "passive" way. In the same way, passive-aggression is expressed towards others through what seems to be, superficially, just stupidity. However, in the case of passive-aggression, it is stupidity by design with an often denied or even repressed intention of sabotaging the process of reaching the objective. The One Ring was too powerful for even Frodo to willingly harm and this was apparent from the beginning (Tolkien, 1999, The Shadow of the Past, "Book One: The Ring Sets Out", The Lord of the Rings, Seven Volume Edition, p. 80): "Frodo drew the Ring out of his pocket again and looked at it. It now appeared plain and smooth, without mark or device he could see. The gold looked very fair and pure, and Frodo though how rich and beautiful was its colour, how perfect its roundness. It was an admirable thing and altogether precious. When he took it out he had intended to fling it from him into the very hottest part of the fire. But he found now that he could not do so, not without a great struggle. He weighed the Ring in his hand, hesitating, and forcing himself to remember what Gandalf had told him; and then with an effort of will he made a movement, as if to cast it away - but he found that he had put it back in his pocket." However, it certainly did not anticipate Smeagol's somewhat foolish dance of victory, while teetering on the edge of a precipice extended out over the fires of Mount Doom. After centuries of living in extremely hazardous environments, it would be reasonable to conclude that Smeagol knew better; especially at that point in time. But Smeagol loved and hated the One Ring as he loved and hated himself and he responded to its compulsion to leave the place of its pending destruction by celebrating his repossession of the One Ring. This was a natural emotional response unanticipated by the One Ring even if, admittedly, somewhat out of place in such a perilous situation. In this way, it can be proposed that Smeagol destroyed the One Ring in the only way he could and, possibly, in the only way anyone could. Moreover, on p. 79 (ibid.), Gandalf states that Smeagol will have a part to play. It was quite possible that Gandalf, being aware of Frodo's inability, perhaps, perceived in Smeagol a chance by which the workings of more than one hand could subvert the power of the One Ring against itself. In this sense, one of the big themes of Tolkien's work is that there is no hero and that good is achieved through the contribution of many hands, both great and small. Just some thoughts... (Smoking.Chimp (talk) 09:54, April 6, 2014 (UTC))